Bubble

Diseases of the bladder and the urinary tract can also cause cramps in the abdomen. As in other hollow organs, smooth muscles are also found here. The urinary bladder has a maximum capacity of 400 ml of fluid and is located in the area of the small pelvis.

It is a reservoir for the urine continuously produced by the kidneys. Especially in women, urinary tract inflammation can occur due to anatomical conditions such as a shorter urethra compared to men and its proximity to the anal region. The most common of these is the so-called cystitis or bladder infection.

The most common pathogens causing cystitis are faecal germs such as E-coli, which rise through the urethra and can cause painful inflammation of the bladder mucosa. In addition to the female sex, factors such as the existence of an immune deficiency or diabetes mellitus increase the likelihood of developing cystitis. Symptoms are a painful urge to urinate, painful bladder emptying and cramp-like pain in the lower abdomen as well as the excretion of bloody urine.

A bladder infection should be treated in time, if necessary also with antibiotics, to prevent the disease from spreading to the ureters and renal pelvis. In case of an inflammation of the renal pelvis or the ureters, severe back pain and sometimes high fever and fatigue are possible. A non-infectious cause of bladder-related abdominal cramps is the urethral syndrome.

The symptoms are similar to an inflammation of the bladder, but no inflammation can be identified as the cause of the symptoms during the diagnostic clarification. The origin of the disease has not yet been conclusively clarified, but it is suspected that there is a constant tendency for the smooth muscles to cramp as a result of repeated infections or changes in the hormone balance of the woman after menopause. After a thorough clarification of possible inflammatory causes requiring antibiotic therapy, the treatment usually consists of pelvic floor training and a change of lifestyle with regard to stress reduction.